Friction belts, drive belts and friction wheels of typical friction feeders wear and need to be periodically replaced. Replacement of these items on conventional friction feeders is quite inconvenient and time consuming because the machine must be largely disassembled with tools to access the wear parts, and then reassembled once the replacement parts are fitted. This replacement process is costly due to the down time and also due to operator costs to perform the maintenance. Provision of the required tools also adds to the cost and time to complete the replacement procedures. Therefore, there is a need to provide an improved friction feeder possessing the ability to quickly and easily change out wear parts.